Car-coupling.



W. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED 0203,1911.

Patented Sept. 24,1918.

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QXM/hwoo W. KELSO. CAR COUPUNG. APPLICATION FILED DEC.3,1917.

Patented Sept. 24,1918.

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w. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING. I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3.19l7.

1,279,709. Patented Sept. 24,1918.

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W. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING y APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3.1917.

Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE... if

WILLIAM KELSO, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, Assienon TO THE McCoNWAY &

TORLEY COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION orrnmr- SYLVANIA.

To all 107mm it may concern:

' mechanism in which. the several parts are Be it known that I, WmLrA M' KELso, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Car- Couplings; and I do hereby declare the fol- 1 :lowmg to be a full, clear, and exact description .ofgthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

My invention relates to the construction of car couplers of the type employing a piv- The primary. objects of the.

oted knuckle. invention are to produce an eificient coupler strong and of simple form, easily operated,

. and capable of facile assembly and disastion, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims,

Figure 1 1s a plan view'of a car coupler embodying my invention, the rear end of the coupler stem being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but having a portion of the. upper wall of the coupler headbrokenaway to disclose the elements of the coupler mechanism within the coupler head.

7 Fig. 3 is a front. elevation of the coupler, a portion of the knuckle being broken away in order to disclose the locking mechanism more fully.

Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the coupler,

' a portion of the coupler head being broken away to show the interior mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, illustrating the working parts of the coupler in their locked-relation.

- Fig. 6 is a view'corresponding to Fig. 5,

but showing the positionsof the parts when the lock is in lock-set position.

I Fig.7 is a viewalso corresponding to Fig.

.5 but illustrating.=:thepositionsxassumed by the parts when the knuckle has released the 1 Specification of Letters Patent.

. lock from f the lock-set .ity.

CAR-COUPLING.

position shown in Fig.6.

Fig. 8, is a detail view showing the guideway for the lock on the guard arm'side of the Coupler head.

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating, the manner of assembling theknuckle opener in the coupler head.

, Fig. 10 is aldetail fview, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, illustrating the manner of assembling the locking mechanism in the coupler head. o v

Fig. 11 is a detail rear elevation of the coupler lock and its associated lock-set and lock-to-the-lockmechanism.

' Fig. 12 is a detail side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 11.

Patented Sept. 24,1913. Application filed December 3, 1917. 7 Serial No. 205,100.

. In the drawings, the coupler head is indi- 1 cated by the reference numeral 1, and 2 is the knuckle pivotally connected to the coupler head by means of a knuckle pin 3 in the usual manner. The knuckle is normally prevented from rotating to open position by means of a lock 4 which is slidably mounted within the coupler head so as to return to locked position under the influence of grav- The side of the lock facing the guard arm of the coupler preferably projects into a vertically extendingiguideway or channel 5 in the coupler head, while the side of the lock which is near the knuckle 2 is adapted to. cooperate withthe longitudinally extendthe interior of the coupler head 1. Nearits lower end the guide rib'6 is interrupted or- Icut away,'as indicated at? and '8, leaving a lug 9. 7

toward the knuckle side of the coupler is formed" with a groove .10 correspondingto The rear corner of the lock -44 the lug' 9,". the portions 11 and 12 of said .lock above and below the groove 10 being respectively adapted to enter and turn in the corresponding recesses or grooves 7 and ing vertical face of the guide rib 6 cast on 8 in the guide rib 6 of the coupler head.

Thisconstruction'permits the lock 4 tobe brought into assembled relation with-the acoupler head 1 by enteringitin the, guideway 5 and'then rotating it on a vertical ax s until the .lug 9 has. passed through the groove or'channel 10 of the lock andthe projecting portions 11 and 12 of the latter have passed through the grooves-7 and 8,. of the guide rib 6. When in coupled. relation the knuckle 2 prevents the lock 4; from I'O-j' tating,or twisting in a direction allowing it to become disassembled from the coupler head; and the supporting shelf or seat 13 on which the lock 4 rests when in coupled position may be at such an elevation that the lug portion 11 of the lock will be out of alinement with the corresponding groove 7 through the uide rib 6 when the parts are subsequent unlocking rotation of the knuckle 2, and in the other position (see Fig. 5) preventing the look from accidentally moving to unlocked position. This member 15 is preferably connected to the lock 4 by means of a pivot pin 16, being pivoted at one side of its center of gravity. It is provided with two projections 17 and 18 respectively, which are adapted to extend laterally beyond the lock 4 into the recess or notch between the shoulders 19 and 20 of the coupler head.

The lower projection, 17 is adapted to rest 'upon the lock-set seat or shoulder 19 on the guard arm side ofthe coupler head to support the lock in lock-set position, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Under the influence of gravity the upper shoulder or projection 18 assumes a position beneath the lug or shoulder 20 upon the coupler head when the parts are in locked position, thus preventing the lock 4 from accidentally moving upward to unlocked position. The under surface of the lug 20 is preferably inclined, as shown, in order to permit the portion 18 of the pivoted member 15 to clear it freely when moved by the lifter member 21 in the act of raising the lock 4 to unlocked position. The coupler is grooved or cut away, as at 22, to allow for the movement of the lower end of the pivoted member 15 when the latter is rotated with respect to the lock in the operation of unlocking the coupler. The lug or shoulder 20 is at one side of the path of movement of the lower end 17 of the member 15, thus permitting the latter to clear it when the lock 4 executes "the extended unlocking movement necessary to actuate the knuckle opener lever 23. By employinga pin 16 as the m'eans for suspending the lock 4 from the member 15 ease and certainty-of operationof the lock in unlocking the knuckle are insured and undue friction and binding 'ofthe lock'against the coupler head are prevented and by so positioning the-pin '16 that the pointof attachment of the lifter'21 opener '23 turns.

to'the member 15 is out of vertical alinement with the pin when the parts are in locked relation, prompt and positive operation of the member 15 is insuredas the lifter is actuated to unlock the coupler.

The lifter member 21 is preferably provided at its lower end with a hook 24 which is adapted to cocperate with an eye'25 with which the member 15 is provided at its upper end. The eye 25 is formed with a portion 26 of sufficiently small diameter 'to enter the mouth 27 of the hook, the ren'iainder of the eye-being of sufficiently large dia-meter to prevent the escape of the hook from the 'eye. This construction eliminates all possibility of accidental dissociation of the pivoted member 15 and lever 21 when the parts are assembled in working relation. The lifter 21 projects upwardly through an .aperture 28 in the upper wall of the coupler head 1. This aperture is preferably in the form of across, one of its arms being adapted to receive the lifter 21 and its other arm accommodating the upper end of the eye 25 when the locking mechanism is raised to its fullest extent,

The knuckle opening lever 23 is provided with oppositely 'disposedtrunnions 29 and 30 forming means whereby the lever 23 is pivotally mounted upon the coupler head. The coupler head 1 has pockets 31 and32 which respectively receive the trunnions 29 and 30. As shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 9, the pockets or'bearings 31 and 32 are so formed that the lever 23 may be rotated about a vertical axis-in assembling it with or disassembling it from the coupler head 1. The upper portion ofthe lock 4 is provided with a shoulder 33 which is adapted to engage the short arm 34 of the knuckle opener lever when the lock has been raised sufficiently to permit the knuckle to rotate to open position. The further or extended unlocking movement of the lock '4 while in engagement with the short arm of the knuckle opening lever 23 causes the latter to rotate thus forcing the long arm 35 of the lever to press against the outer faceof the tail of "th'e'knuckle 2, thereby rotating the knuckle to open position. Inorder to reduce friction between the lock 4 and knuckle'opening lever 23, the under face of the end "of the short arm34of the lever is, as shown, referably formed as a curved bearlng sur ace;

and .to prevent reduction in leverage the underside'of'the short arm 34 of the knuckle opening lever is preferably recessed, as at 36,'in order-to prevent the lock 4 from contacting the knuckle opening lever'adjacent the -trunnions 29' on which the knuckle At the rear endxof its tail the knuckle 2 is .provided with inclined xm'eans, preferably in thefo'rm of'a rib 37,

opening of the knuckle. The under surface of the lock 4 is preferably inclined,as indicated at 38, to cooperate ,with the incllned rib' 37 on thetail of the knuckle.-

' lever ona vertical axis until its front trunnion 29 is seated in the corresponding bearing pocket 31. The look 4 with the pivoted member' and litter 21 attached'is next inserted, being entered through the mouth of theco'upler headand brought into assembled relation with the guideway-5 and guide rib 6 as heretofore described. The knuckle '2 andthe knuckle pin 3 are then put in place, thus completing the 'assembly of the mechanism. When the parts are in locked position the contactof the long arm 35- of the knuckle opener 23 with the back of the knuckle 2 prevents accidental dislocation of the knuckle opener, and when in open position accidental displacement of the knuckle opener-is prevented by the contact 7 of the short arm 34 of the knuckle opener with theshoulder 33 of the lock 4. The

knuckle 2 in conjunctionwith the guide rib 6 prevents the lock 4 from twisting when in locked position, and the guide rib 6 upon the interior of the coupler head 1 prevents twisting of the look when the latter is in unlocked position.

When the parts are in locked position and the lifter 21 is pulled upwardly the pivoted member 15 mounted upon the lock' 4 is rotated upon its pivot pin 16 until its upper locking lug or projection 18 is moved from under the shoulder or lug 20 upon the coupler head. The lock 4, being then free to move upwardly, is raised by the lifter 21 until it is high enough to permit the knuckle 2 to rotate outwardly. At this time the lower end 17 of the member 15 moves into position vertically above the lock-set seat 19 upon the coupler head 1, so that if the upward pull upon the lifter 21 be released the lock 4 will be sustained in unlocked position through the intervention of the attached pivoted member 15, as illustrated in Fig. 6. When the knuckle 2 rotates outwardly after the parts have been brought to lock-set position,

as shown in Fig. 6, the inclined rib 37 upon 7 the tail of the knuckle engages the inclined lower surface 38 of the lock 4, .causing the lockto be raised sufliciently to permit the lower end 17 of the pivoted member 15 to disengage and swing clear fromthe lock-set seat 19, the lock being then supported upon the tail of the knuckle, as shown in Fig. 7. Upon the subsequent closing of the knuckle ,2 the lock drops to locked position and the pivoted memberr-15 rotates under the influence of gravity until its shoulder or lug 18 stands beneath the shoulder 20 upon the coupler head, the lock 4 "being thus locked against an accidental unlocking movement.

-When the knuckle 2 is free to rotate out wardly an extended upward .pull upon the against the tail of the knuckle 2 and-rotate the latterupon its pivot pin3. I

I claimz' 1.]In a car coupler, the combination with V V a coupler head having oppositely opening pockets forming pivotal bearings for a knuckle opening device, of a knuckle pivotally mountedin said bearing pockets-of the coupler head, a lock for said knuckle, and a knuckle opening device movably mounted upon said coupler head, said lock being adapted to actuate said knuckle opening device and constituting means for preventing sociated from said coupler head henthe knuckle is in open position. T

2. In a'car coupler,'the combination ith the coupler head, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle,-a knuckle opening lever adapted to be actuthe knuckle opening device from being':dis'

ated by said lock, and a rigid lifter member movably connected to said lock and extending upwardly to the rear of said knuckle opening lever, said lever being provided with trunnions whereby it is pivotally mounted on said coupler head, and said coupler head being formed with pockets adapted to receive said trunnions, said pockets permitting the upper arm of said lever to be rotated rearwardly about a vertical axis in disassembling it from said coupler head.

3. In a car coupler, the combination with the coupler head, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, a lockfor said knuckle,

and means pivotally connected to said lock and adapted to engage said coupler head'in a plurality of positions, said means when in one position of engagement with the coupler head maintaining said lock in lock-set position and when in another position of en'- gagement with said head'serving to prevent said look from accidentally moving to unlocked position. I

4. In a car coupler, the combination with the coupler head, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, a member pivotally mounted on said lock, and a member adapted to actuate said pivoted member, said pivoted member being pivoted at one side of its center of gravity and being adapted to engage said coupler head in one position to maintain said lock in lookset position and to engage said coupler head in another position to prevent said look from accidentally moving to unlocked position, and said actuating member being adapted to effect a rotation of said pivoted member on gagement with said head to thereby prevent said look from accidentally moving to unlocked position and is also adapted to engage said head to maintain said lock inlock-set position, and means for moving said last named member from the position in which it prevents the lock from moving to unlocked position to the position in hich it maintains said lock in lock-set position, said means being out of vertical alinement with said pin when the parts are in locked relation.

6. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head having a guide rib interrupted to form a plurality of grooves and an intervening lug, of a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, and a slidable lock for said knuckle, said lock being insertible into said head through the mouth thereof mounted thereon, and a lock for said knuokle, said head being provided with guides cooperating with said lock, and one of said guldes being interrupted intermediate of its ends to permit said lock to be removed from said coupler head.

8. In a car coupler, the combination with the coupler head, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, and means for preventing the look from accidentally moving to unlocked position and for maintaining said lock in lock-set position, said means involving a recess formed in said coupler head and having lower and upper surfaces which serve respectively in lock-setting said lock and in locking it against accidental unlocking.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM KELSO.

Gopies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

